Quick-opening envelop.



-PATENTEpNAUa 4, 1908;*

` 'SEEET-BHBET- W. D. SMITH. QUICK OPENING ENVELO?.

AP-Pmouxol FILED MAB. u, um.

w.n.s1szum. QUICK OPENING ENVBL01 PPLIOATIOH FILED KABA. 14, 1908..

PATENTED AUG. 4, 1908.

asuma-s111121' 2;"

a UNITED STATESTENT oFiriC.

WALTOX UITAXE SMITH. OF- PROPHETS'OWN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGXOR OF ONE-THIRD TOFRED l.. .^\l).-\.\IS AND 'UNE-THIRD TO JOH- IA. FIRMAN, OF PROPIIETSTOWN;ILLINOIS.,

QUIoK-oPENING ENvELoP,

Toal'l illmm it mag/'concerns Be it known that I, WALT'oN D. Siii'iii, a. citizen of' the l'nited States, residing at lrophetstown. iii the county of Whiteside und'State of illinois, have'inventedcertain new and useful lin irovcinents in Quick- Opening Envelops, o which the following vis asicciiication. l

t is well known .that the usual method of opening an envelop after the latter has been scaled, is to tear off one end of the latter,4 which is obviously unsatisfactory as it leaves the envelop in a ragged, unsightly condition, and which is also inconvenient since it is dillcult to remove the contents of the envelop and it is generally necessary to squeeze the latter edgewise or blow into the saine. Furthermore, if the inclosed let-ter fills the envelop flush out to the end, which is frequently the case, and the envelop is opened by tearing oill one end, the Acontents of the. envelop are necessarily mutilated.

'lhe object of this invention is aniniproved and ingenious envelop, which mav be effec.-

tually and quickly opened without any danger of mutilating the contents thereof, and from which the contents may be readily removed.

With this and other objects in view that will iii'ore fully appear as the description proeeeds, the invention consists in certain construct-ions and arrangements of the parts that l shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features thereof in the ap )ended claims.

lf or a full understanding of the invention and the merits, thereof, reference is-to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figurel is a perspective view of my improved quick opening envelop, showing the atter sealed; Fig. Z isa similar view thereof,

showing the ripping tongue torn open; Fig. 3

is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a blank from which my improved envelop is constructed; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of an envelop showing -a modified form thereof. Fig. 6 is a longi tudinal section of the modification shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a view-showing the blank from which the modified form. of envelop above described, is constructed; Fig. 8 is a -pcrs iective view of an envelop, showing aiiot ier modification thereof, andthe envelop seale'd;` Fig. 9 is a similar view of such n Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 4, v1908.l v

vApplication filed March 14, 1908. -Seral No. 421,099. i I

ping tongue torn o en;,and, Fig. 10 is a'sectional View of this atter form.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated -in all the'views of the drawings, by the same reference characters.

My improved envelop is constructed of a. blank of paper or other suitable material, and comprises a front 1 and a back 2, the front being formed with end fiaps 3 and a sealing flap 4. The back 2 is formed with a modified form of envelop, showing the'. riprelatively short and preferably curved slit 5 Y extending therethrough and forming a rip-- ping tongue 6, the curved ends of the slit extending towards the adjacent end of the back 2. A reinforce 7, which is preferably constructed of a separate strip, is correspondingly curved at one end to conform to the slit 5, and is secured, as by an adhesive, to the inner surface. of the back 2, so as to extend over the ripping tongue 6, with its curve end in alinenieiit with the slit 5, the side edges of said reinforce preferably diverging, as shown, and extending from the ends of the slit to the respect-ive corners of the adjacent end of the back.

The parts of the blank are secured together in the usual way, to foi'in the envelop, the end flaps 3 overlapping t-lie back 2, and being pasted, or otherwise suitably secured thereto. vThese end flaps are preferably cut awa as shown, so as not to extend beyond the vergiiig'edges of the reinforce 7, when pasted in iosition.

fn the practical use of my improved envelop, after a letter or the like is inserted therein, the envelop is closed by securing the sealing flap 4 to the back 2. When it is desired to open the envelop, the end of the latter, provided with the ripping tongue 6, is bent slightly, so that the rippini7 tongue may be. readily grasped by the thuin and finger, said tongue being then ulled toward the adjacent end of the enve op, and being obviously caused, b v the reinforce 7, to tear along the diverging side edges thereof and to the respective corners of t ie adjacent end of the envelop. It Will thus be seen that the envelop is quickly opened, aiid is provided with a marginal recess, by means of which` the cont-ents of the envelop are readily ac'- cessible and may be easily removed therefrom.

In one modification of the invention, as

the reinforce, said end Hap being secured to the outer surface of the back and extending to theslit 5, to form a three-ply ripping tongue.

In another modification of the invention,

(Figs. 8, 9 and 10) the end flap 3" adjacent to` the rippin tongue 6", is enlarged and tapered, as s own, said end iap bei secured to the outer surface of the back 2", with its tapered end extended over the ri ping ton ue 6" and in alinement with the sllit 5". In t iis case, the reinforce 7" -is preferably se. cured to the inner face of the end flap 3", and also to the outer face of the back 2". This 'construction is n iore simple than the other forms, but, however, is not so efficient, since when the ri ping tongue is torn open, a portion of the ack 2" extends Within the margin ofthe ri pingl tongue, so that after they envelop has een opened, the rip ing tongue can be pasted tov this margina extension Without showing that the envelop has been o ened, and thus permit the same to be i e ally tampered with (see Fig. 9).

rom the above -description, in connection withv the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have provided a simple, du-

tnred at practically no increase in cost over ordinary envelop, and which, when torn V open, is left in a neat condition, so tliatit may be employed for filing purposes or the Eike, the ripping tongue being preferably tom off even with the end of the envelop,

when the latter is used for lfiling purposes.-

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

An envelop of the character described, @insisting of a front, a back, end flaps, and a malin flap, the back being formed with a. me( slit extending therethrough and forniin a ripping tongue, anda substantially tnvlan u ar reinforce secured throughout its Lengt i to the inner surface of the back contguous to the ri ping tongue, with itsapex in aiinement Wit the. slit and with its side g edges diverging from the ends of the slit to 5 the respective corners of the adjacent end of l the envelop, the end flap adjacent to the rip- Iping tongue being folded over and secured to the outer surface ofthe back between the l laines ofthe sides of the reinforce, as and for 2 the purpose specified. I

f i In testimonyT whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

\ winrar mais siniii. [1.. 5.]

`Witnesses: l P. H. SMITH,

MATTsoN H. BALDWIN. 

